MR. H. CAMPBELL(for Mr. JORDAN) (Clare, W.)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Whether on a light line of Railway, now being made from Belturbet, county Cavan, Ireland, to Dromod, a bridge spans the Ballinamore Canal at that town; whether, in view of the possible completion of the Canal, the Railway bridge is at so low a level as to make it impossible for steam tugs or barges to pass under the arch at high water; whether the engineer of the Board of Works inspected the line, and was a party to this arrangement; and, whether, before the completion of the bridge, the Government will take steps to protect the Canal traffic which may arise between Limerick and Belfast?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. HENRY H. FOWLER) (Wolverhampton, E.)(who replied) said: The railway is now being constructed between Belturbet, and, in consequence, a bridge is being built spanning the Canal. Only the buttresses of the bridge have been constructed as yet, and the bridge might be raised to any height required for navigation purposes. The engineer of the Board of Works has 1158 made all the observations; but he was not certain that the Board had any power, as the Canal navigation was vested in Trustees, and not the Board. The Ballinamore Canal had never been used for navigation purposes, and the works had been for many years abandoned by the Navigation Trustees.